To Take a Breath
by AngelfishGirl
Summary: Sasuke get's trapped underground with a very limited amount of oxygen. It's up to his teammates to free him, but with all the blood loss and the lack of oxygen, can Sasuke hang on to his life with the litte strength he has? No pairings.


To Take a Breath

Summary: When Sasuke gets trapped in an underground cave, what will happen as he uses up the precious oxygen?

Rating: T

**Yea… here's another one-shot I have been thinking of for awhile now. I hope you like it! :)**

**This isn't in Shippuden, but Naruto knows rasengan, Sasuke has the Curse Mark but isn't evil (he's wearing his blue shirt) and Sakura isn't a medic.**

_To Take a Breath_

_Prologue: _

Team Seven strolled through the old, abandoned ruins that surrounded them entirely. The ruins led them to their destination: the Hidden Waterfall village. They had to deliver an important document to them, and decided that the quickest way was to go through them. Even though Sakura got a bad feeling about walking through them, she uneasily agreed to follow her team there. The ruins had always been safe; nothing bad had ever happened to the team assumed they were safe to cross through.

The team was wrong.

As they passed through the narrow tunnel to exit the ruins, they felt the ground start to shake. With Kakashi in back, and the three Genin in front, Kakashi didn't have time to grab them as the ground caved underneath them. Luckily, Sasuke was quick enough to push his two teammates out of the way, but he was unable to get out himself. He screamed helplessly as the rock underneath his feet disappeared, and he started plunging. He suddenly felt Sakura's hand grab onto his, and when he opened his eyes, he found Sakura holding onto him with all of her strength.

"Sasuke!" She gasped, trying to pull him up, but he was too heavy. Above her head, the roof started caving as well. She gasped as Kakashi grabbed her from behind and quickly pulled her away to safety. But she couldn't hold on to Sasuke. Once again he screamed in terror as he started plummeting yet again, only this time, there was no teammates there to grab hold of him and drag him out of safety.

"Sasuke!" He heard his sensei scream, just before the rocks all came clogged the massive hole he fell from. Instantly, pitch blackness was all Sasuke could see. His back smacked the cold, stone floor below him, and he let out an earsplitting scream before his head was smashed into the ground by the momentum and he lost consciousness.

Outside, his team heard Sasuke's faint scream, but they knew by how dense the rock was, that the scream had to be extremely loud in order to be heard from outside.

"Quick! Naruto! Sakura! We have to dig him out! If we don't get him out he'll run out of oxygen!" Kakashi said urgently, taking a kunai knife and carefully breaking the rocks. Naruto and Sakura quickly grabbed their own knives and started to break the rocks.

"Be careful." Kakashi said. "One wrong move and these rocks will collapse again, crushing Sasuke underneath." Naruto and Sakura gulped, and started to be more cautious when they stabbed the rocks.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi screamed as loud as he could, trying to get a response from the child.

"Sasuke! If you can hear me, scream as loud as you can, like your other scream!" Still no response came.

"Not good. He's unconscious." Kakashi said, starting to break the rock more urgently. Tears were pouring from Sakura's eyes, while Naruto's eyes flashed determination to get his teammate out.

"He doesn't have much time. Hurry!" Naruto said, starting to punch the rock with his own fists.

_Story:_

When Sasuke finally woke up, the first thing he did was let out a cry of pain. His head was pounding, and it felt as if someone had took a hammer and whacked him with it full strength. He could feel the blood running through his raven hair. He knew his arm was injured too; a sharp stabbing pain on his upper arm made him grimace when he touched it. Panting roughly, he tried to calm himself down to save the oxygen. When his eyesight adjusted, he glanced around, determining that the room would supply him with oxygen for about two hours. But how long had he been unconscious for?

"Kakashi sensei!" He screamed, using up even more oxygen to try to call for his sensei. "Kakashi sensei!"

"Sasuke!" He heard in return. He gasped in surprise, hearing his sensei's voice. They hadn't left him. They were still with him.

"Sasuke! Listen to me! Try not to speak unless absolutely necessary, we think you have approximately two hours of air in there. Did you just wake up?"

"Yes!" Sasuke screamed back.

"Ok, you've been unconscious for about an hour now. You only have about another hour left in there. Try not speak unless absolutely necessary! We are trying to get you out as fast as we can, but we have to be careful that we don't make a wrong move and send the rocks crashing down on you. Stay put, and don't try to move them from the inside. You're going to get dizzy, feel some fatigue, and you may even faint. That's from the oxygen depletion. I need you to stay with me, ok? Whenever I call out to you, respond if it is necessary. I need to know if you are conscious or not." Kakashi told him quickly.

"Ok!" Sasuke screamed, ending the conversation. It felt good knowing that his teammates were there, but the thought only lingered in his mind for a moment. Dizziness was already starting to affect him. He found it hard to concentrate on anything. He tried meditating, but the pain in his arm and his head made him stop.

By twenty minutes later, Sasuke was breathing heavily. Fatigue and a lot of dizziness caught up to him. He had lied down on his side, staring at the cool stone below him. His fingertips brushed smoothly against it as he curled up into a ball, desperately wanting to fall asleep and never wake back up until he was outside of this cave. Focusing became quite a chore by now, so he merely closed his eyes, praying that sleep would come to him.

Just as he was about to fall into his eternal sleep, he heard his sensei's voice call out to him.

"Sasuke! Are you ok down there?" He said.

Sasuke's lungs were screaming for air, and it felt like he couldn't even manage a whisper, but he knew he had to respond to his sensei. He opened his mouth, ready to shout, but all that came out was a soft moan.

_I have to respond! _He thought, taking in the biggest breath he could it, which was nothing compared to what it normally would be.

"Kaka… Sen… sei…" Was all he could choke out. He prayed that his sensei could hear him, because there was no way he could manage to say anything else.

"I hear you Sasuke!" His teacher thankfully responded. "I can tell that your condition has worsened, we're almost there, just hang on!" He screamed.

Up above, he looked over to Naruto and Sakura. "He's losing consciousness. At this pace, he'll be out any second now. We need to hurry. He most likely has only about ten or twenty minutes left!" Kakashi told his students. They both gasped, and started to dig faster.

Below the surface, Sasuke was fighting to stay conscious. He let out a dry cough, trying to suck in air that wasn't there. He rolled to his other side, clinging to his legs tightly. Another throb of pain was felt in his arm and he whimpered loudly, biting down on his bottom lip to hold in what he knew would come out as mangled screams. Breathing only worsened. He was sucking in air so much it hurt his throat.

_I'm… not gonna live much longer…_ Sasuke thought, glancing down at the cool stone in front of him. He closed his eyes.

"_Naruto… Sakura… Kakashi… Goodbye."_ He whispered, miraculously in one piece, not choked. His consciousness wavered as the dizziness and fatigue overpowered him. With hardly any oxygen to fill his lungs, he drifted into his eternal sleep, packed with as many good memories he had had in his life. He dreamed of them for awhile, but soon, even the dreams started to fade, lost in the blackness that was closing in on him. If he could've spoke, he would've thanked the heavens that he was unconscious when it happened.

~*~

"Sasuke!" Kakashi screamed. It was only about five minutes later since the last time he called, but Sasuke was losing consciousness then. He needed to know if Sasuke was awake or not. **(A/N this part is only seconds after Sasuke fell asleep. He just started dreaming, so it's not at the part when he started dying)**

No response.

A cold shiver ran down Kakashi's spine. He started digging even faster, completely throwing out the idea of being cautious.

"Sasuke's unconscious! He'll be dead any second now! Forget being cautious he'll die within seconds if we don't hurry!" Kakashi told his team. They both screamed, starting to dig faster and faster. Throwing aside huge rocks, and digging through the smaller pieces with their hands, the team tirelessly worked. About two and a half minutes later, Sakura finally saw what she needed to see: a hole.

"Kakashi! I made a hole!" She yelled. Kakashi quickly pushed Sakura aside, starting his lightning blade attack. He stuck his hand in the shuriken sized hole, then used the attack to widen the hole. Now twice the size of him, he could jump into the hole, but he held back. Making sure that it was safe to go in. Oxygen could finally reach Sasuke, and the sun provided light so they could see where Sasuke was.

The team peered down into the cave, looking for both Sasuke and how deep the cave was. The cave was deep, and even with the sunlight shining, the ground was barely visible. But, they could still vaguely see the outline of their teammate.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed. She nearly jumped in when Kakashi pulled her back.

"I know you want to see him. We all do. But remember, our safety is key to getting him out right now." Kakashi told her. Tears spilling over Sakura's eyes, she nodded quickly.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi screamed, trying to rouse Sasuke from his unconscious form, but Sasuke didn't move.

Kakashi took one step towards the edge, then another, and another. He used his Sharingan and looked down at Sasuke's curled form.

"What a mess." He sighed, shaking his head back and forth. "His heads bleeding, his arm is nearly broken, he might have a damaged leg, and there are some rocks that had fallen on him, but thankfully not his head, when I opened the hole more." Naruto and Sakura both held back a scream. Kakashi got a rope out of his backpack.

"I think it's safe. You two go down and get Sasuke. If he's not breathing, then keep his body as straight as possible. If he's still breathing, just grab him and climb onto this rope. I'll pull you three up.

Naruto and Sakura quickly nodded, before jumping into the hole without hesitating. It was dark, but it only took them half a second to register where Sasuke was.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Sakura both screamed in unison, rushing over to their teammate. A pool of blood was forming underneath his beaten body, which made them both gasp. It dripped down his arm, and the back of his head. Naruto cocked his head to the side, bringing his ear close to Sasuke's partly opened mouth to check for breathing. Sakura checked his pulse while bringing an ear to his chest.

"He's breathing!" Naruto declared happily. Sakura lifted her head up, hearing his heart beat a little slower than average. His pulse was only fluttering. When Sakura turned her head to listen for breathing, she found that even though Naruto was correct, it was shallow and labored.

"He's in bad condition, Kakashi sensei!" Sakura screamed to her sensei.

"How bad is he?" Kakashi responded.

"He's barely breathing, and his pulse and heartbeat are low!" She called back.

"Don't take the time to keep his body straight. It'll make no difference since he's at least breathing. Get him in your arms and grab onto the rope!" Kakashi instructed.

Sakura nodded, easily pulling the young Uchiha into her arms. His blood immediately stained her dress but she couldn't care less at the moment. All she cared about was getting him to safety. She and Naruto ran to the rope, each grabbing the rope with one arm, but they used their other to help support Sasuke.

"Ready?" Kakashi asked.

A nod.

Kakashi immediately began pulling them up, but seconds felt like hours to the team. Sasuke's condition was getting worse and worse. Even with the oxygen returning to his lungs. Sakura brushed the hair out his face, listening for his breathing again. Once they got to the top, Kakashi did a quick check over.

"Let's get to the hospital." He muttered. He took Sasuke into his arms, watching as the boy's head lolled to the side limply. He checked for the pulse that was nearly gone, then he and the team dashed off back to their own village for the hospital.

~*~

It took them twenty minutes to reach the hospital. By the time they had gotten to the hospital, Sasuke's breathing had stopped. They didn't know when it happened, but they knew it wasn't so long ago that there was no chance Sasuke would survive. They had all been sat right outside the door, in the waiting room. Everybody fidgeted impatiently while waiting. Even Kakashi couldn't hold still.

_I failed. I failed as a teacher._ Was all he could think of at the moment.

The team waited for hours. It was only five twenty PM when they reached the hospital. Now, it was three fifteen AM. Naruto and Sakura had both very uneasily fallen asleep. Naruto was leaning against the wall on the opposite bench of Kakashi. Sakura had cried herself to sleep leaning on Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi couldn't fall asleep though. The same thought that had been lingering in his mind all night was still there.

_If Sasuke were to die… I'd never forgive myself._ Kakashi thought sadly. He sighed in defeat.

_Is Sasuke still fighting for his life in there? Is he stable? Is he dead?_ The unanswerable questions made Kakashi's head spin. Suddenly, he heard the too familiar _ding_ and the light that showed that an operation was in process faded to nothing. It was over. All over. What of Sasuke?

Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi immediately bolted from their seats. Staring at the plain white doors, waiting for them to open.

When they did, even though it was only a few seconds later, it felt like _centuries_ to the team. Two sweaty medics walked out of the door, staring at the team, hiding their emotions. Where was Sasuke?

"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura could barely manage to say. Naruto gulped, Kakashi braced himself for the dreaded word: _dead._

The medic let out a shaky sigh. "He's alive. We lost him… twice. But both times he managed to bring himself back up. That boy's a fighter. We fixed all of his wounds, so those shouldn't be a problem. He'll be bit tired for awhile, so he'll need to stay with somebody until he's better. He may say he's feeling better, but he can't be alone for awhile. Whoever he's with will need to make sure he gets plenty of rest. If he stays in bed and gets some sleep he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Naruto and Sakura let out a sigh of relief; a breath they didn't realize they were holding. Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "I'll be in charge of him." He told the medic.

He nodded back. "Great. You guys are his closest family, so you can visit him, but be quiet. He needs plenty of rest. We've given him some medicine that'll make him feel tired and a little out of it, so if he's confused or acting funny that's why. He keeps saying that he's cold, so if he mentions that, just give him another blanket. They're in the corner of the room." The medic said. They team nodded, and rushed in after the medic.

They found Sasuke in a plain white bed, covered with blankets. There was an IV drip in his arm, and an oxygen mask around his head, breathing air into his lungs that he was barely able to intake just awhile ago. He was gazing up at the white ceiling, his eyes clouded with thought. They noticed his headband on the table right next to the bed, and that he was in clean, hospital clothes. His old clothes, now clean and not stained with blood, where placed on the opposite side of the room. Naruto and Sakura took their seats in the two chairs next to the bed, while Kakashi just decided to stand.

"Hey." Kakashi said, leaning up against the wall closest to Sasuke's bed. Sasuke turned his head to look at his sensei.

"_Hi sensei."_ Was the quiet response he received from his student. He closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura asked him, reaching a hand out and brushing the locks out of his beautiful eyes.

"_Tired. In pain. But alive." _He whispered back to her. She got up and hugged him, relief washing over her. Tears spilled from her eyes once again. Sasuke softly grabbed her hand, reminding her that he still there. Alive. Sakura cried harder into his jet hair. Naruto stood up next to Sakura, smiling at the sight of his other teammates reuniting with each other. It was heartwarming. Once Sakura wiped away her tears and slowly took a couple of steps backward, it was Naruto's turn.

"I'm glad you're ok, Sasuke." Naruto whispered. Sasuke nodded.

"_I was scared."_ He whispered. Naruto hugged him.

"I know. You're safe now." He said, feeling tears prick his eyes as well, but not spill. He sat up, giving a nod to Sasuke before backing away beside Sakura.

Sasuke's tired eyes drifted over to Kakashi, blinking once.

"_When can I leave?"_ He asked softly.

Kakashi leaned forward and brushed through Sasuke's hair gently.

"You know what, Sasuke?" Kakashi said, his eyes closing and curving upward with a smile. "The medics said that you'll need to spend at least a month or so with an adult so you can recover, so it looks like you'll be staying with me for awhile. We can leave the hospital when you're feeling better. We'll go get your stuff, and you'll come home with me. How's that sound?" He asked.

Sasuke gave a small sigh, closing his eyes. _"Ok."_ He whispered softly. A medic walked in carrying a syringe of some sort. They added the medicine into the IV drip, then gave a small nod to Kakashi before exiting the room, leaving the team alone again. All three teammates watched as Sasuke's eyes started to look even more tired.

"_K-Kakashi…"_ Sasuke whispered softly, feeling drowsiness swell up inside of him. He didn't want to sleep. He didn't want his teammates to leave.

Kakashi smiled. "It's ok Sasuke, if they gave you something to make you drowsy, then they probably want you sleeping. We don't mind if you sleep. You're recovering." Kakashi whispered. Sasuke shook his head.

"_I don't want you to leave."_ He whispered. Naruto and Sakura gaped at Sasuke.

_The medicine is really effecting him._ They thought. Kakashi patted his head softly.

"We won't leave you Sasuke, I promise." Kakashi said.

"Yes." Sakura added. "I'll stay by you the whole time, Sasuke." But Sasuke still shook his head. He clearly didn't trust them.

The weight of the bed suddenly shifted as Kakashi lied down next to Sasuke, wrapping his muscular arms around Sasuke gently. One of Kakashi's arms now replaced Sasuke's pillow, while the other was wrapped over Sasuke's upper arm, gently rubbing his back.

"I won't leave you Sasuke. None of us will." Kakashi whispered softly into Sasuke's ear. Sasuke finally relaxed. He snuggled closer to Kakashi's vest, feeling his eyes starting to close. This time, he closed them willingly. Just before sleep washed over him, he opened his mouth to speak one last word.

"_Thanks."_

~*~

_Epilogue:_

Kakashi never left Sasuke's side as promised. Nobody did. The medics wheeled in two more beds for Naruto and Sakura. All four of them slept in the room. Sasuke slept through most of the night, occasionally waking up, but falling back asleep soon afterwards.

Two days later, Sasuke was discharged from the hospital. Still weak from the wounds and the medicine, Kakashi carried him back to his home to get his stuff, then to his house. Sasuke stayed the month with Kakashi, to ensure his safety. Sasuke's bond with his teammates tightened. The experienced had done more good than harm. As Sasuke was walking home from Kakashi's house, one thought crossed his mind:

_I hope it happens again._ He smiled and continued to stroll down the street back to the Uchiha compound.

**End!**

**Ok that last statement may be a little confusing. He means that as he wonders when something will happen that will bring his team closer together (bond-wise) Sorry that's confusing.**

*****Should I make a sequel? I could make one about Sasuke's time with Kakashi if enough people ask me to! :D That would be pretty awesome I think! :)**

**I hope you liked it! :D**

**I just got done finishing the new chapter of Paranoia at Silent Island, but still took the time to write an extra one-shot for all of you guys who wanted a new book because Paranoia suxx! ;)**

**Review, PLEASE!!!**

**~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


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